Odisha Vigilance Nabs Gram Panchayat ADEO for Accepting ₹2,500 Bribe in Mayurbhanj

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Vigilance on Saturday arrested Hemanta Kumar Behera, Accountant-cum-Data Entry Operator (ADEO) of Talapada Gram Panchayat under Badasahi block in Mayurbhanj district, for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹2,500 from a beneficiary under the MGNREGS scheme.

According to Vigilance officials, Behera had demanded the bribe from a poor marginal farmer for generating a work code for a sanctioned farm pond. Under MGNREGS, farm pond benefits are meant for disadvantaged groups, including SC/ST, BPL and small or marginal farmers. The beneficiary had been following up on the work code for over a month, but Behera allegedly refused to process it without payment.

Unable to afford the bribe and facing persistent pressure, the farmer approached Odisha Vigilance. Officials stated that they had previously received complaints against Behera for taking bribes from other beneficiaries.

Acting on the complaint, a Vigilance team conducted a trap and caught Behera red-handed while accepting the illegal gratification. The marked bribe money was seized from his possession.

Following the arrest, Vigilance teams launched simultaneous searches at two locations linked to Behera to verify possible disproportionate assets. A case has been registered against him at the Balasore Vigilance Police Station under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.